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Shirley Williams
Sunday, May 13, 2007
The evidence is clear, elections are here, and we are all feeling the heat! It was my hope that this general election would have been fought on the basis of issues - issues which affect the daily lives of us all. Most importantly, the issues of crime, jobless youths, the inadequate quality of life which a significant portion of the population experiences, the indebtedness of the country and the way forward to take us out of these problems.
Shirley Williams
Instead, there seems to be a tendency to embark upon a debate about the personalities of the leaders, the virtues and or accuracy of prophecies, and the diversionary attempt to spend valuable media time debating the political incorrectness of branding public figures with names from the Bible like Jezebel and Satan. Not a single minute spent on these discussions will take this country out of its state of chronic crisis.
The coming six months
The general-secretary of the People's National Party recently stated that the elections will be held within the next six months. This will take us to November 2007. In the context where the PNP is having controversies in candidate selections in a few seats, which it aims to take, it seems logical that a cooling off period of at least two months would be required after candidate selection, taking us, at earliest, to the end of June.
This leaves July as a possible option for elections; August (holiday period for many) and September (the realities of back-to-school pain) are ruled out, leaving October and November as other options. My guess therefore is that elections will be held in July, October, or November.
With this time line in mind, and conscious of past tendencies, I sadly conclude that the country will, over the coming months, experience a plethora of announcements of new projects, contracts signing and ground breaking with absolutely no serious debates on the issues. This has already started and will serve only to compromise democracy in a country where the ruling party has been in power for 18 years.
Campaign financing
The hype generated by the announcements of new projects will bring with it a substantial and formidable boost for the governing party, and will, in essence, constitute a strong advertising campaign for the party. The constant hammering in the media of benefits to come from statutory bodies will likewise impact positively on the electorate for the PNP.
As was the case in the 2002 elections, the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party will find the PNP's advertising campaign to be a moving target, one which will be difficult, if not impossible to match.
Then there is the campaign, which will be fought on the ground, from constituency to constituency. This cannot be done without financial resources. It is my fervent belief that the PNP spent close to $500m on their 2002 campaign, included in which was a significant portion of advertising by state agencies, compared to the JLP's less than $200m. Such a wide variance of resources will transmit an imbalance of presence for the less funded party. Is this democracy?
The vast resources available to the Government under the Petrocaribe facility, all of which are being accessed 'off budget', should be brought under the purview of the contractor-general and auditor-general between now and elections so as to ensure transparency in their use during this critical period. A report on the use of these resources one year from now is of academic significance.
I bring to the attention of the Electoral Advisory Commission, the need to initiate discussions between the two main political parties with a view to reaching an agreement on the use of state funds for public advertising between now and elections. While we boast of being a representative democracy, we ought to question ourselves as to whether every step is indeed taken to ensure that the will of the people is reflected in the ballot box.
The 'don't vote' call
There are many systems of governance throughout the world. Some examples are: autocracy or oligarchy such as dictatorships (eg military or constitutional), kleptocracy defined by Wikipedia as "a government that extends the personal wealth and political power of government officials and the ruling class (collectively, kleptocrats) at the expense of the population".
Democracy: There are several types of democracies, eg representative democracy (parliamentary system) and presidential system (congressional).
Interestingly, the International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (March 2007) issued by the United States Department warned that Jamaica stands at risk of becoming a kleptocracy should it continue to fail to prosecute corrupt officials.
Sustaining a parliamentary democracy, such as Jamaica's, requires that the electorate elect its parliamentary representatives by way of a general poll.
Failure of the electorate to participate in this exercise will undoubtedly lead to the election of a government which does not necessarily reflect the will of the people.
It is the responsibility of every citizen of voting age to seriously consider the issues and cast his/her vote based on the decision as to which representative is best able to carry out the responsibilities of public office.
The issue of collective responsibility in governance is as critical as the responsibility of the representative at the constituency level, since failure to demand accountability by the executive will indeed lead to the election of a government by kleptocrats.
I urge those making the call for a boycott of the polls to rethink their responsibilities as citizens and to participate in correcting the deficiencies and abuses by bringing the force of civil society to bear positively on governance.
Freedom to cast our votes
At last count, I believe there are some 13 garrison constituencies in the country, the majority of which vote each time for the PNP.
Historically, these constituencies poll more than 90% turnout in elections while the national average falls way below this.
Will the EAC have in place measures to protect the voters in these and other constituencies from violent intimidation?
Is the country doomed to a culture whereby garrison constituencies will be sustained on the basis of political spoils being channelled their way in preference to others, resulting in a warped democracy? I hope and pray not!
After the elections
In a previous column I commented on the death of Bob Woolmer and the fact thet we focussed our attention on addressing the health care of visitors to World Cup Cricket but failed to address the issues of unexpected deaths. Two such deaths occurred and the handling of one was less than desirable.
I now question our preparedness to address the results of the coming elections, whatever may be the outcome. There have been several polls, all of which so far have predicted a close election. God forbid a tie!
In the current context, where the expectations of both sides are high, what will be the spontaneous response of the victor or the looser?
All polls in recent times have shown that the greatest concerns of citizens are crime and unemployment. This means that the personal security of each of us is our primary concern. Is the Government prepared for any perceived or real threat to our safety arising from the holding of elections, both before and after?
Change in party profile
I question whether there will be a change in the profile of each political party, whatever may be the result. Both parties have persons who have served for decades. Will there be a retirement of senior figures in the loosing party?
This is perhaps the most critical election since the 1980 elections.
The world is watching, and I pray that sanity and common sense will prevail.
Shirley Williams
Sunday, May 13, 2007
The evidence is clear, elections are here, and we are all feeling the heat! It was my hope that this general election would have been fought on the basis of issues - issues which affect the daily lives of us all. Most importantly, the issues of crime, jobless youths, the inadequate quality of life which a significant portion of the population experiences, the indebtedness of the country and the way forward to take us out of these problems.
Shirley Williams Instead, there seems to be a tendency to embark upon a debate about the personalities of the leaders, the virtues and or accuracy of prophecies, and the diversionary attempt to spend valuable media time debating the political incorrectness of branding public figures with names from the Bible like Jezebel and Satan. Not a single minute spent on these discussions will take this country out of its state of chronic crisis.
The coming six months
The general-secretary of the People's National Party recently stated that the elections will be held within the next six months. This will take us to November 2007. In the context where the PNP is having controversies in candidate selections in a few seats, which it aims to take, it seems logical that a cooling off period of at least two months would be required after candidate selection, taking us, at earliest, to the end of June.
This leaves July as a possible option for elections; August (holiday period for many) and September (the realities of back-to-school pain) are ruled out, leaving October and November as other options. My guess therefore is that elections will be held in July, October, or November.
With this time line in mind, and conscious of past tendencies, I sadly conclude that the country will, over the coming months, experience a plethora of announcements of new projects, contracts signing and ground breaking with absolutely no serious debates on the issues. This has already started and will serve only to compromise democracy in a country where the ruling party has been in power for 18 years.
Campaign financing
The hype generated by the announcements of new projects will bring with it a substantial and formidable boost for the governing party, and will, in essence, constitute a strong advertising campaign for the party. The constant hammering in the media of benefits to come from statutory bodies will likewise impact positively on the electorate for the PNP.
As was the case in the 2002 elections, the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party will find the PNP's advertising campaign to be a moving target, one which will be difficult, if not impossible to match.
Then there is the campaign, which will be fought on the ground, from constituency to constituency. This cannot be done without financial resources. It is my fervent belief that the PNP spent close to $500m on their 2002 campaign, included in which was a significant portion of advertising by state agencies, compared to the JLP's less than $200m. Such a wide variance of resources will transmit an imbalance of presence for the less funded party. Is this democracy?
The vast resources available to the Government under the Petrocaribe facility, all of which are being accessed 'off budget', should be brought under the purview of the contractor-general and auditor-general between now and elections so as to ensure transparency in their use during this critical period. A report on the use of these resources one year from now is of academic significance.
I bring to the attention of the Electoral Advisory Commission, the need to initiate discussions between the two main political parties with a view to reaching an agreement on the use of state funds for public advertising between now and elections. While we boast of being a representative democracy, we ought to question ourselves as to whether every step is indeed taken to ensure that the will of the people is reflected in the ballot box.
The 'don't vote' call
There are many systems of governance throughout the world. Some examples are: autocracy or oligarchy such as dictatorships (eg military or constitutional), kleptocracy defined by Wikipedia as "a government that extends the personal wealth and political power of government officials and the ruling class (collectively, kleptocrats) at the expense of the population".
Democracy: There are several types of democracies, eg representative democracy (parliamentary system) and presidential system (congressional).
Interestingly, the International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (March 2007) issued by the United States Department warned that Jamaica stands at risk of becoming a kleptocracy should it continue to fail to prosecute corrupt officials.
Sustaining a parliamentary democracy, such as Jamaica's, requires that the electorate elect its parliamentary representatives by way of a general poll.
Failure of the electorate to participate in this exercise will undoubtedly lead to the election of a government which does not necessarily reflect the will of the people.
It is the responsibility of every citizen of voting age to seriously consider the issues and cast his/her vote based on the decision as to which representative is best able to carry out the responsibilities of public office.
The issue of collective responsibility in governance is as critical as the responsibility of the representative at the constituency level, since failure to demand accountability by the executive will indeed lead to the election of a government by kleptocrats.
I urge those making the call for a boycott of the polls to rethink their responsibilities as citizens and to participate in correcting the deficiencies and abuses by bringing the force of civil society to bear positively on governance.
Freedom to cast our votes
At last count, I believe there are some 13 garrison constituencies in the country, the majority of which vote each time for the PNP.
Historically, these constituencies poll more than 90% turnout in elections while the national average falls way below this.
Will the EAC have in place measures to protect the voters in these and other constituencies from violent intimidation?
Is the country doomed to a culture whereby garrison constituencies will be sustained on the basis of political spoils being channelled their way in preference to others, resulting in a warped democracy? I hope and pray not!
After the elections
In a previous column I commented on the death of Bob Woolmer and the fact thet we focussed our attention on addressing the health care of visitors to World Cup Cricket but failed to address the issues of unexpected deaths. Two such deaths occurred and the handling of one was less than desirable.
I now question our preparedness to address the results of the coming elections, whatever may be the outcome. There have been several polls, all of which so far have predicted a close election. God forbid a tie!
In the current context, where the expectations of both sides are high, what will be the spontaneous response of the victor or the looser?
All polls in recent times have shown that the greatest concerns of citizens are crime and unemployment. This means that the personal security of each of us is our primary concern. Is the Government prepared for any perceived or real threat to our safety arising from the holding of elections, both before and after?
Change in party profile
I question whether there will be a change in the profile of each political party, whatever may be the result. Both parties have persons who have served for decades. Will there be a retirement of senior figures in the loosing party?
This is perhaps the most critical election since the 1980 elections.
The world is watching, and I pray that sanity and common sense will prevail.
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